Americans United - Elmbrook Churchhttps://www.au.org/tags/elmbrook-church
enCivics Lesson: Graduation Decision Helps Conn. Students Learn About The Constitution https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/civics-lesson-graduation-decision-helps-conn-students-learn-about-the
<a href="/about/people/bathija">Sandhya Bathija</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The Hartford Courant defended the stance of AU and the ACLU in an editorial yesterday, arguing that “ignoring the Constitution sends the wrong message to students.”</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Earlier this week, Americans United and the American Civil Liberties Union celebrated a win for church-state separation when the last of five public schools in Connecticut agreed to move graduation from a church to a secular venue.</p>
<p>In December, we <a href="http://www.au.org/media/press-releases/archives/2010/02/windsor-conn-school-board.html">sent</a> letters to these school districts explaining that graduating students, their families and other guests should not be unconstitutionally subjected to religious messages when attending high school commencement.<a href="http://www.au.org/media/press-releases/archives/2010/02/windsor-conn-school-board.html"></a></p>
<p>Though the boards from all the public schools have complied with the request from AU and the ACLU, a few board members are not happy about it.</p>
<p>“Why don’t they mind their own business?” said one school’s board member who voted against the change of venue. She felt caving to the threat of a lawsuit sent the wrong message to students and called us “bullies.”</p>
<p>The <em>Hartford Courant</em> <a href="//www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-school-church-graduations.artfeb11,0,6941393.story">defended </a>the stance of AU and the ACLU in an editorial yesterday, arguing that “ignoring the Constitution sends the wrong message to students.”</p>
<p>I agree. But I’m not at all surprised by this school board member’s remarks. For some reason, asking public schools to hold their graduation ceremonies at a secular venue seems to strike a nerve with a few people.</p>
<p>Last year at this time, Americans United also <a href="http://blog.au.org/2009/02/12/grouchy-over-graduation-some-wisconsinites-say-au-is-just-evil/">took some heat</a> when news got out that we had asked three public schools and a community college in Elmbrook, Wisc., near Milwaukee, to move their graduation ceremonies from an evangelical Christian church.</p>
<p>Instead of calling us “bullies,” however, they called us “just evil.” Someone even wrote online that AU had “God Cooties.” (That seems pretty unlikely when AU Executive Director Barry W. Lynn is an ordained United Church of Christ minister.)</p>
<p>Fortunately, it matters little what these people think because we know who the real bullies are – those who insist on pushing their religious beliefs on others.</p>
<p>Public schools are full of students from different religious backgrounds. When there are many secular venues available to choose from, why is it necessary to ask students to celebrate such an important day in their lives at a place that would make them feel unwelcome? Just because a majority of students may be of a particular faith, school boards have to remember that the Constitution requires them to respect the beliefs of <em>all </em>students.</p>
<p>We aren’t trying to push anyone around here. AU just wants to ensure that the law is followed and that student rights are respected.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religion-public-schools-and-universities">Religion in Public Schools and Universities</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/elmbrook-church">Elmbrook Church</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/graduation-church">Graduation in church</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/religion-public-schools-and-universities">Religion in Public Schools and Universities</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/windsor">Windsor</a></span></div></div>Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:09:09 +0000Sandhya Bathija2385 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/civics-lesson-graduation-decision-helps-conn-students-learn-about-the#commentsDiplomas And Disrespect: Public Schools Should Not Force Religion On Graduating Seniors https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/diplomas-and-disrespect-public-schools-should-not-force-religion-on
<a href="/about/people/bathija">Sandhya Bathija</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>This summer, I will celebrate my 10-year high school reunion. In fact, just last week I received a Facebook message from our class president to "save the date" (which, as a side note, I doubt I will be "saving").</p>
<p>But reading the message got me thinking. High school can be a tough place, but there definitely were some good times. And one of those times was putting on my cap and gown to celebrate finally getting out of there!</p>
<p>In seriousness, though, I was an emotional mess when I arrived at the convention center where our school held its graduation ceremonies. It was my "last day" with my friends, and it meant so much to us.</p>
<p>It meant a lot to my parents, too. I was their youngest child and soon would be leaving them with an empty nest. This ceremony and celebration was important.</p>
<p>That is why I couldn't imagine having to receive my diploma in a church sanctuary or being required to listen to a Christian prayer before walking on stage.</p>
<p>I grew up Hindu in a very conservative town in Ohio. Much of my life, I felt like an "outsider." I stood out, and I was very aware of it. Holding the ceremony in a church would have just exacerbated that feeling I had carried with me since kindergarten. Thankfully, my school recognized that.</p>
<p>I wish the same could be true for all public schools throughout the country. But each year, Americans United receives many complaints about public schools that choose not to remain religiously neutral, and in turn, violate the Constitution.</p>
<p>Today, in the <a href="http://www.chillicothegazette.com/article/20090430/OPINION03/904300318"><em>Chillicothe Gazette</em></a>, a senior who is Wiccan wrote a letter to the editor, expressing his fear that his high school graduation experience will be "tainted," if the school does not change its policy of beginning and ending commencement with Christian prayers.</p>
<p>He writes, "I hold no animosities toward Christians; in fact, most of my best friends are followers of Christ. I feel that during graduation ceremonies when the entire crowd is asked to stand and join in prayer, if I remain seated I will be ridiculed for not standing and showing respect for someone else's religion. I feel at the same time that if I do stand, then I am submitting to and accepting something that goes against what I believe."</p>
<p>Jacob Davis goes on in his letter to cite a U.S. Supreme Court decision that explicitly banned coercive prayers at public school graduations. The high court said in Lee v. Weisman that "'[e]veryone knows that in our society and in our culture high school graduation is one of life's most significant occasions....[T]he Constitution forbids the State to exact religious conformity from a student as a price of attending her own high school graduation."</p>
<p>Americans United <a href="http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&amp;page=NewsArticle&amp;id=10397&amp;security=1002&amp;news_iv_ctrl=1241">filed a lawsuit</a> last week in federal court to block a Wisconsin public school district from holding graduation ceremonies in the sanctuary of an evangelical church. AU is representing a graduating senior and several families in the district whose constitutional rights would be violated if the school fails to honor the separation of church and state.</p>
<p>The church where the graduation is to be held, Elmbrook Church, <a href="http://www.au.org/images/au/press/2009/church_graduation_photo_ex1-4.jpg">displays a large cross</a> (15 to 20 feet tall, and seven to 10 feet wide) in its sanctuary. The cross would likely appear in any photo of a student receiving his or her diploma.</p>
<p>The school claims this is the only comfortable venue to hold the graduation, although in <a href="http://www.au.org/site/DocServer/2009-04-elmbrook-complaint.pdf?docID=4081">AU's complaint</a>, we list several other venues, including a local Convention Center that can easily seat even more people comfortably.</p>
<p>Schools that push religion at graduation have not only violated the Constitution, they have shown they care little about respecting the feelings of all students. Even if a majority of students don't oppose holding a graduation ceremony in the church and support Christian prayers, schools are not permitted to forget the rights of the minority students.</p>
<p>After all, they earned that diploma just as much as anyone else.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religion-public-schools-and-universities">Religion in Public Schools and Universities</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/elmbrook-church">Elmbrook Church</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/graduation-ceremony-religious-buildings">Graduation ceremony in religious buildings</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/graduation-prayer">Graduation prayer</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/religion-public-schools-and-universities">Religion in Public Schools and Universities</a></span></div></div>Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:53:04 +0000Sandhya Bathija2348 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/diplomas-and-disrespect-public-schools-should-not-force-religion-on#comments